AK-74
Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash) · Assault Rifle · In Production · 1974
Also known as: Avtomat Kalashnikova obrazets 1974 goda, Type 88
Overview
The AK-74 is a select-fire assault rifle chambered in 5.45x39mm, produced by Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash) since 1974.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3300 g (116.4 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 3600 g (127.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 943 mm (37.13") |
| Barrel Length | 415 mm (16.34") |
| Height | 189 mm (7.44") |
| Sight Radius | 376 mm (14.80") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 900 m/s (2953 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1391 J (1026 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 196 mm (7.72") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 5.45x39mm · primary — also known as 5.45x39mm Soviet, 5.45mm Kalashnikov, 7N6
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Hammer Notch
- Features: Chrome Lined Barrel, Chrome Lined Chamber, Muzzle Brake Compensator, Rotating Bolt, Select Fire, Optics Rail Compatible, Grenade Launcher Compatible
Variants
- AKS-74 — Folding Stock
- AKS-74U — Compact
- AK-74M — Modernized
- AK-74N — Optics Ready
- RPK-74 — Light Machine Gun
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Armed Forces · adopted 1974
- Russian Armed Forces · adopted 1991 · as AK-74M
- Ukrainian Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Belarusian Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Bulgarian Armed Forces · adopted 1980
- Armenian Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Georgian Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Kazakhstan Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Kyrgyzstan Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Moldovan Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Mongolian Armed Forces · adopted 1980
- North Korean People's Army · adopted 1985 · as Type 88
- Tajikistan Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Turkmenistan Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Uzbekistan Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- Afghan National Army · adopted 2002 · as AK-74M
Conflicts
- Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
- First Chechen War (1994-1996)
- Second Chechen War (1999-2009)
- Russo-Georgian War (2008-2008)
- Russo-Ukrainian War (2022-present)
- War in Donbas (2014-2022)
Production
Estimated total produced: 5,000,000 · Production years: 1974-present
Approximately 5 million AK-74 rifles produced in the Soviet Union and Russia. Additional licensed copies produced in Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany, Poland, and North Korea.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Mikhail Kalashnikov
Notes
Early production models featured wooden furniture; later versions transitioned to polymer in distinctive plum or orange colors before standardizing to black by the early 1990s. The AK-74M modernized variant introduced in 1991 became the Russian military standard and formed the basis for the AK-100 series. While front-line Russian units began transitioning to the AK-12 in 2018, the AK-74 remains in widespread service across former Soviet states and continues in licensed production. The 5.45x39mm cartridge is not SAAMI-regulated but follows CIP international standards. The rifle is compatible with the GP-25/GP-30 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher and various optical sights via side-mounting rails on N-suffix variants.
Background
The AK-74's 5.45x39mm cartridge was nicknamed the 'poison bullet' by Afghan Mujahideen due to its tendency to tumble and fragment on impact, creating wounds disproportionate to its small caliber. Western intelligence first encountered the new rifle during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.